1.5 Introduction to the ELA Instructional Block: Components & Purpose

Middle School ELA Instructional Block

Independent Reading + Conferences

Literature Seminar

Writing + Grammar

Students read books of their choice at their independent level while the teacher conferences with readers.

Whole-group reading and discussion of a shared, complex text led by the teacher.

Daily writing instruction and practice aligned to the unit’s focus and genres.

Explore

Explore

Explore

*Schools should also schedule a 45- minute reading intervention block in addition to the 90 minutes of core instruction outlined above.

Middle School ELA Instructional Block

Block StructureResource

The 6-8 ELA Block Recommended Daily Structure is a resource you can access in the Curriculum Google Drive to review the purpose, resources, and format of each block component as you continue to refine your understanding of Middle School ELA at NHA.

Literature Seminar

45 Minutes

This is the heart of the instructional block. During Literature Seminar, students engage in whole-group reading of a high-quality, complex text across a variety of genres. Instruction is structured to include teacher modeling, guided reading, and intentional discussion.

The purpose of Literature Seminar is to teach students how to make meaning, analyze structure, develop interpretations, and build understanding over time. Through Literature Seminar, students learn to navigate complex texts with increasing independence and depth.

Sample Resources

Evidence Trackers

Novel Studies

Connected Texts

Discussion Guides

Writing + Grammar

30 Minutes

Writing is the final component of the block. Students write across a variety of genres, including narrative, argument, informational, poetry, and constructed response. Each unit’s writing tasks are closely aligned to the reading focus, so students are synthesizing ideas and building skills in tandem.

This component provides students with an authentic opportunity to process their thinking, develop their voice, and grow their writing fluency. It shifts the focus from receiving ideas to generating them—helping students turn analysis into expression and build the stamina and confidence of writers.

Sample Resources

Mentor Texts

Writing Tasks

Rubrics

Quick Writes

Grammar

Independent Reading + Conferences

15 Minutes

Independent Reading launches the ELA block and serves as daily practice time for students to build their reading fluency, stamina, and confidence. During this time, students read books of their choice at their independent level.

The goal is to foster a love of reading while giving students the space and time to practice the very skills they are learning in Literature Seminar. Teachers use this time to monitor, confer, and collect informal data on student reading behaviors.

Sample Resources

Classroom Library

Rowling, J. K. (1998). Harry Potter and the sorcerer’s stone (M. GrandPré, Illus.). Scholastic Press.

Collins, S. (2008). The Hunger Games (T. Chip Kidd, Illus.). Scholastic Press.

Generating Interest

Conferencing

Accountability